New Arlington County Police Chief Doug Scott sent the following message of greetings to the Arlington community today. Please pass this note along to your neighbors and fellow civic association members, and feel free to post it on your community Web sites.

To read the message online, please visit www.co.arlington.va.us/police/message_from_the_chief.asp.
A Message from the Chief:

It is with a profound sense of pride that I arrive in Arlington as your Chief of Police. Having been an officer and chief in neighboring jurisdictions, I am well aware of the Arlington County Police Department's long tradition of professionalism and excellence. I am also aware of the responsibility I now bear in helping to continue that tradition.
To the residents, visitors and business owners of Arlington, I pledge to maintain the Department's commitment to community policing. In recent years, this commitment has resulted in unparalleled cooperation and communication between the police and the people they serve. One principle of the community policing philosophy is collaboration with other organizations and agencies to make Arlington a place where all people can live safely and without fear. As I meet the members and leaders of the County's civic associations, charitable groups and government agencies, I will reiterate my and the Department's desire to work with them to ensure the well-being of all Arlingtonians.

To the officers and civilian employees of the Police Department, I pledge my full support as you perform your often difficult and sometimes dangerous duties. Arlington has long prided itself as one of the best-trained and best-equipped law enforcement agencies in the country, and I will do my best to maintain that level of quality. The backbone of this Department is its people, and I intend to always keep the needs of individual officers in mind as we pursue organizational excellence.

Thank you very much to the people of Arlington, and especially to the men and women of the Police Department, for your warm welcome to the County. I am very excited to be back in local law enforcement, and I dedicate myself to this community and this Department. It is truly a privilege to be working with you.

M. D. Scott

__________________________
Matthew Martin
Arlington County Police Dept.
Public Information/Media Office
1425 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201
703-228-4311 ph
703-524-3674 fax
www.co.arlington.va.us/police